Why did Sammy Brown choose to wear the No. 47 at Clemson?

The highly touted true freshman linebacker spoke about that during the latest episode of Clemson Football’s 2 Right Turns podcast, released Friday.

Brown explained that he picked the number because of James Skalski, the former Clemson linebacker who sported those digits during his decorated six-year career as a Tiger spanning 2016-21.

“Honestly, there’s not that good of a story [about choosing No. 47] besides the fact that it’s freakin’ James Skalski, and you can’t go wrong being 47,” said Brown, who enrolled at Clemson in January.

“But I didn’t have a wide arrange of numbers that I could choose from. But when I saw 47, I felt like I had to take it.”

A two-year team captain and multi-time All-ACC selection, Skalski finished his Clemson career credited with 310 tackles (20.5 tackles for loss), 10.0 sacks, 12 pass breakups, two fumble recoveries (including one he returned 17 yards for a touchdown) and a forced fumble over 69 games (38 starts).

Skalski’s 69 career games played tied for the school and modern FBS record, and he is the only player ever to play in (and win) five ACC Championship Games. Of course, he has a couple of national championship rings as well from the 2016 and 2018 seasons.

Like Skalski, a native of Sharpsburg, Ga., Brown joined Clemson’s program as a Peach State product from Commerce, Ga. A former consensus five-star prospect, Brown was an all-state selection each of his last three seasons at Jefferson High School.

Brown — who earned the 2023 High School Butkus Award and also won the All-American Bowl’s Defensive Player of the Year award, among numerous other honors – intends to do his best to live up to the legacy that Skalski left in the No. 47.

“I think it’s definitely like you have to live up to that standard – like, the standard of 47 is what James Skalski put out on the field,” Brown said. “So I feel like when I wear that number, I have to live up to that standard.”

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